In the city there are not that many places that are going to make room for you and your beloved furry friend. Even if you manage to get your dog into a hotel in the city, walking around with him and sight-seeing is not going to be that easy.

It has always left me bewildered how in foreign country (UK and the States to begin with), owners can easily tie their dogs outside of a supermarket, shop casually in the inside and come out in 10 – 15 minutes, untie their dogs and keep on walking. This is hardly possible in the city of Istanbul. Not for any particular reason, but simply unlikely…

Anyhow, say that you did bring your dog along, it is quite possible that there may be many hotels which will accept your beloved friend. However, the marketing of this is not done heavily online. Therefore, it is best to contact hotels separately at the time of the booking. It is very possible that some hotels (even if they market themselves as “no pets allowed”, may in fact accept pets at a mild charge.

The same applies for taxis. Always ask. Pets are a subjective issue in Istanbul and the allowance for them (to the restaurants, hotels and cabs) almost always depend on the hosts’ personal attitude towards animals. Exceptions are in order, as some places, are likely to have a strict no pets policy even if they love pets…